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Cloud · head to head

Caddy vs Orca Security

Caddy logo

Caddy

Cloud

Web server with automatic HTTPS by default

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Orca Security logo

Orca Security

Cloud

Agentless cloud-native application protection platform for code-to-runtime security.

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Caddy has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Caddy smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer; Orca Security no public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • They diverge on capability: Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Caddy and Orca Security actually diverge.

Attributes where Caddy and Orca Security differ
AttributeCaddyOrca Security
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelOpen source, no licence feequote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, macOS, Windows, Dockerweb, api

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cloud).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Caddy

  • Automatic HTTPS
  • Caddyfile
  • Reverse proxy
  • Single binary

Only in Orca Security

  • Agentless cloud scanning
  • Attack path analysis
  • Shadow AI detection
  • Secure code development
  • Alert prioritization
  • Workload protection

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Caddy

  • Sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages beforenot Orca Security
  • Small deployments where Nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrantsnot Orca Security
  • Reverse proxying internal services with TLS without a certificate workflownot Orca Security

Orca Security

  • Gaining full cloud asset visibility without deploying agentsnot Caddy
  • Prioritizing cloud risk with attack path correlationnot Caddy
  • Detecting shadow AI usage across cloud environmentsnot Caddy
  • Scanning code, containers, and IaC before deploymentnot Caddy
  • Reducing alert fatigue through contextual risk scoringnot Caddy

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Caddy

  • Smaller ecosystem than Nginx, so third-party guides and modules are fewer
  • Adding plugins means rebuilding the binary rather than loading a module
  • Under very high throughput Nginx generally still benchmarks ahead
  • Automatic certificate issuance needs outbound internet access, which complicates air-gapped deployments

Orca Security

  • No public pricing; requires a demo and custom quote from sales.
  • Agentless-only scanning may miss some runtime telemetry that agent-based tools capture.
  • Full value depends on integrating many of the platform's modules across code, cloud, and AI.
  • Primarily targeted at mid-to-large organizations with multi-cloud environments.

Pricing, plan by plan

Caddy

Free
  • CaddyFree
    • Full functionality
    • Commercial use permitted
    • Community support

Orca Security

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Orca Security review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Caddy if

  • You need automatic https.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker.
  • You also want caddyfile.
Caddy review

Choose Orca Security if

  • You need agentless cloud scanning.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want attack path analysis.
Orca Security review

Questions people ask

Is Caddy or Orca Security better?
Neither clearly leads. Caddy starts at Free and Orca Security at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Caddy or Orca Security?
Caddy has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Caddy and On request for Orca Security.
Does Caddy or Orca Security run on more platforms?
Caddy runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker. Orca Security runs on web, api.
Can I use Caddy for free?
Yes. Caddy has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Orca Security starts at On request.
What is Caddy best used for?
Caddy is most often used for sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages before, small deployments where nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrants, reverse proxying internal services with tls without a certificate workflow. Of those, sites and services where expired certificates have caused outages before and small deployments where nginx configuration is more effort than the problem warrants are not what Orca Security is typically brought in for.
What can Caddy do that Orca Security cannot?
Caddy covers Automatic HTTPS, Caddyfile, Reverse proxy, Single binary. Orca Security covers Agentless cloud scanning, Attack path analysis, Shadow AI detection, Secure code development.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Caddy: Is Caddy free?

Yes, open source under the Apache 2.0 licence, free for commercial use.

Orca Security: How much does Orca Security cost?

Orca Security does not publish pricing tiers or rates on their website. Organizations must contact Orca Security directly or request a demo to receive custom pricing information based on their specific use case and requirements.

Source
Caddy: What does automatic HTTPS mean?

Caddy obtains certificates from Let’s Encrypt or ZeroSSL on first request and renews them before expiry, with no cron job or configuration.

Caddy: Caddy or Nginx?

Caddy is dramatically simpler to configure and removes certificate management. Nginx has the larger ecosystem and better peak throughput.

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